page_title: Splinter
section_title: Detection
hierarchical_section_title: Splinter / Detection
caption_attribution_description: English: Skin and its layers: Shown is a drawing of the layers of skin and associated glands and vessels (epidermis, dermis, fatty tissue, blood vessels, follicle, oil gland, sweat gland). Reuse Restrictions: None - This image is in the public domain and can be freely reused. Please credit the source and/or author listed above.
context_page_description: A splinter is a fragment of a larger object, or a foreign body that penetrates or is purposely injected into a body. The foreign body must be lodged inside tissue to be considered a splinter. Splinters may cause initial pain through ripping of flesh and muscle, infection through bacteria on the foreign object, and severe internal damage through migration to vital organs or bone over time.
  Splinters commonly consist of wood, but there are many other types. According to the American Academy of Family Physicians, common types of splinters are glass, plastic, metal, and spines of animals.
  As with any wound that breaks the skin, splinters can lead to infection, which if left untreated could develop into more serious complications. If a splinter is in the body for more than 2–3 days, or if the wound shows signs of inflammation or tenderness, advice should be sought from a doctor.
context_section_description: Splinters are often first detected by the person with the splinter in their body. There are many signs that a splinter has entered one's body.
caption: Anatomy The Skin - NCI Visuals Online
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